The final climactic scene of the film was undoubtedly its main selling point. Its scale and setting were both grand, yet the actual shooting was not so. The aerial sequences relied mainly on CGI, while the ground battle scenes were confined by Duke to a single street, effectively reducing the workload and financial investment required for set construction and CG production.
This film required very few exterior shots; most of it was performed in front of a green screen. Almost all the backgrounds and explosions were created through CGI compositing.
"Send people into these buildings."
Standing atop a car placed before the green screen, Chris Evans, dressed in his full Captain America costume, said rapidly to two police officers, "The people inside might panic, they could run into gunfire. Lead them through the subway, don't let them out onto the street!"
Time was tight, and he spoke quickly. "From here all the way to 39th Street, seal everything off."
"Why should we listen to you?" The officer waved his hand impatiently.
Then Duke signaled the start. Two stunt performers covered in motion-capture sensors leaped onto the car, and Chris Evans, following the preset choreography, easily took them down.
After Evans knocked away the last 'enemy' with his shield, the officer immediately shouted into his communicator, "Send people into these buildings. Lead them through the subway, don't let them out onto the street. All the way to 39th Street, seal everything off."
When the morning shoot ended, Duke went to his office suite to change clothes. Then, together with Scarlett and Sofia Coppola, who had come by to visit the set, he went to a nearby restaurant near the Warner studio—a place full of Mexican flavor—to enjoy some Latin dishes he rarely ate.
Mexican beef stew, tacos, and quesadillas filled with vegetables, meat, and cheese were the restaurant's specialties.
After just a few bites, Sofia and Scarlett set down their knives and forks and instead drank several glasses of pure fruit juice.
"These dishes have way too many calories," Sofia said, putting down her glass. "We've long passed our growth phase—these foods are basically a woman's worst enemy."
"Unless you want to play a character actress," Scarlett added, "it's best for women to stay far away from food like this."
Duke merely shrugged. He had long grown used to such scenes. Most actresses, once their bodies finished developing, would adopt strict dieting habits. Many of them even lived in a near-constant state of hunger. Compared to that, Sofia Coppola and Scarlett Johansson, who still ate normally, were already doing well. Some actresses practically replaced their daily meals with diet shakes.
There was even a rumor circulating in the industry that Madonna maintained her current physique purely by surviving on water and yoga.
"There's always been that rumor." Scarlett shrugged. "If it were me, I'd rather stop being an actress than torture my stomach like that."
"You've already lost quite a bit of weight."
Sitting diagonally across from Duke, Sofia reached out and pinched Scarlett's arm. "I can't believe this is the chubby little Scarlett I used to know."
"Because someone doesn't like plump girls," Scarlett said, glaring at Duke before changing the topic. "Let's talk about your new movie. Sofia, I remember you were supposed to be shooting in France. Why are you back in Los Angeles again?"
"The crew ran into some issues," Sofia Coppola said helplessly. "My new film's investor is Weinstein Company, but they've had some problems with their cash flow. The later-stage funding hasn't arrived yet, so the production had to pause."
Financial troubles—something no production ever wants to face. Fortunately, Weinstein Company was financially strong, so it was likely just a temporary cash-flow issue. Duke figured Sofia's crew would be back to normal soon enough.
After lunch, Sofia Coppola took her leave. Duke and Scarlett returned to Warner Studios, where all the main cast members had gathered in the main soundstage. That afternoon, the crew was set to film a key scene.
After intense setup and lighting adjustments, the six Avengers stood together on a prop bridge scarred by battle.
"Scene 235, take 47!"
Standing behind the director's monitor, Duke raised his megaphone and personally shouted, "Action!"
On camera, the six Avengers stood in a circle, facing enemies that did not actually exist during filming. The boom microphone for on-site recording hung above their heads.
"Cap…"
Covered in motion-capture sensors, Robert Downey Jr. was the first to speak. "Give the order!"
"All right, everyone pay attention." Chris Evans, playing Captain America—Steve Rogers—took charge without hesitation. "Since we can't shut down the portal, we'll have to control the situation."
He pointed upward and said to Jeremy Renner, "Barton, get up on that rooftop, monitor everything, and report all enemy movements."
Then Chris Evans turned to Robert Downey Jr. "Stark, hold the defensive line. Anything that gets more than three blocks out—either drive it back or destroy it."
These noisy, eccentric individuals had finally come together as one after enduring countless hardships.
"Thor," Chris Evans continued, giving another command to Chris Hemsworth, "figure out a way to seal the portal. You can summon lightning, right? Use it on those bastards."
"Nat," he said as he walked over to Scarlett Johansson, "we'll stay on the ground and hold their forces here."
"Hulk…" Chris Evans raised a finger toward Mark Ruffalo, who was also covered in motion-capture sensors. "Smash hard!"
"Cut!" Duke called out. "Good job. Keep that energy—we'll do another take!"
This shot marked the first time the Avengers truly assembled together on screen—it was a crucial scene. Naturally, Duke wanted multiple takes. Filming went on all afternoon before that shot was finally approved.
However, the day's work didn't end there. Getting all the main cast together wasn't easy, and Marvel Studios had arranged a special evening press conference to have the cast make another group appearance before the media—maintaining buzz among the press and the public.
The press event took place at a hotel near Warner Studios, held in the form of a dinner banquet. The main members of the production team sat in the same hall with media reporters—an effective way to strengthen goodwill with the press.
In such a setting, interviews were, of course, inevitable.
When necessary, Duke never minded standing before reporters to promote his own film.
"I think comic book fans might have some of their own expectations about a movie on the Avengers," Duke said confidently before a crowd of journalists, "but it won't be enough. I guarantee the audience will experience something truly unique. Even those who don't know who the Avengers are—or those who do but don't fully understand them—will find this film worth the wait. It's going to be a total surprise for everyone."
That might have sounded like self-promotion, but combined with Duke's current stature and achievements in the film industry, it carried real persuasive power.
After a few brief remarks, Duke mostly kept quiet—the real stars of the event were the Avengers themselves.
For the sake of publicity, all kinds of true and half-true behind-the-scenes stories were gradually teased out of the actors under the reporters' persistent questioning.
"When Duke started writing the script," Robert Downey Jr. said with a grin, "I told him, 'The opening has to feature me. I don't care how you write it, but Tony needs to kick things off.'"
Just like Tony Stark himself, Downey spoke casually and without restraint. "But after we tried it, we realized it didn't work. After all, in terms of plot and tone, The Avengers is a completely different kind of movie—we're all just parts of a whole."
Compared to Downey, Chris Evans spoke far more seriously. "Audiences will see a darker and angrier version of Captain America in The Avengers. After all, waking up nearly seventy years after World War II, most of the people he once knew are gone. Living alone in a completely changed world, that kind of loneliness is hard to bear. So he's like a 'fish out of water,' and it'll take him time to adapt."
Chris Hemsworth, meanwhile, focused on the relationship between his character and Loki. "For the other Avengers, Loki is just another typical villain who does evil for its own sake. But for my character, there's a much deeper personal connection—it's family. Loki is Thor's brother. So while filming, I always kept in mind that this isn't just a battle between good and evil, but also an internal family conflict."
Mark Ruffalo revealed that there would be a major shift in the relationship between the Hulk and Iron Man in the next phase. "In The Avengers, aside from Tony—who loves to stir things up—the others tend to stay cautious around the Hulk, treating him like a ticking time bomb. But Tony and Banner actually have a lot in common. They're both obsessed scientists, both rebellious at heart. It's those shared traits and experiences that end up making Hulk and Iron Man close friends."
Publicity for the film maintained a steady level of heat. Since product placement had already recouped the production costs, Marvel Studios and Warner Bros. both increased the promotional and marketing budget for The Avengers—a pre-release investment of $180 million, with more to be added as needed.
In addition, Marvel Studios accepted a portion of investment from China Film Group, ensuring The Avengers would be released in China. Despite various policy restrictions, Warner's Greater China division still carried out a certain degree of pre-release promotion in the region, sparking a strong reaction among Chinese moviegoers.
....
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